Enrollment FAQ

Don't see your question answered here? We're happy to help! Call the front office at your campus or email the American Academy Registrar.

How does the American Academy lottery work?

The lottery is done using our online waitlist system on December 5 each year. As part of that system, we programmed the following set of procedures to be run on lottery day (this is what happens when we "push the button").

A database table was created (LotteryTable). The student information placed in the table was studentid and "in district" (true/false).

Every student is placed in the table (ex.,1905 entries).

Each row receives a computer-generated random number between 0 and 1.

All out-of-district students have a 1 added to the random number.

The table is sorted with the smallest random number on top and the largest at the bottom.

The rows are assigned a lottery number in ascending order (so, the top row with the smallest random number receives a 1, next row a 2, and so on down to the last row with the largest random number).

Finally, the smallest lottery number for each student from the LotteryTable is assigned to the student on the waitlist (offers will be made, by grade, in lottery number order).

Is my family required to live in Douglas County School District in order to join the waitlist?

You are not required to live in Douglas County to add to our waitlist. However, in-district families will receive first priority in our lottery. If you reside outside of Douglas County School District at the time we extend an offer, but indicated you lived in-district, we will be required to rescind any offers of enrollment and will adjust your waitlist position to reflect out-of-district residency. Per our school's charter contract with DCSD, we are legally obligated to extend offers of enrollment to in-district families before we extend offers to out-of-district families.

Once the lottery takes place on December 5, how long will it take for me to hear if my student will be offered a spot at American Academy?

The registrar's office will begin sending email offers (using the email address provided to us in the waitlist system), on December 6. Keep in mind that each family is given 24 hours to make their decision and this process takes time. We continue to make offers late into the summer as spots become available. We encourage families to check their waitlist position often during this process. You may request to have your PIN number sent to you if you have forgotten it.

Why does my waitlist position number occasionally move up?

When we extend an offer to a student, your "position" goes down by one number - you are one step closer to being extended an offer of enrollment! If, however, a sibling or a staff member is added to the waitlist after the lottery (and they have priority to do so), then your number may go up one. If you are curious about the details of those priorities, please read the American Academy Enrollment Policy.

If I receive and accept an offer, what is the deadline for registration paperwork?

Families have one week (7 calendar days) to submit necessary paperwork to American Academy. If paperwork is not submitted, American Academy will assume you are declining the offer of enrollment and your student's spot will be released to the next student on our waitlist. Incomplete enrollment paperwork packets will not be accepted. Please drop paperwork in person to the front office. We are required by DCSD to see the original birth certificate, driver's license and proof of residency. We will make copies of those items to keep in the student file.

If I haven't received an email for an offer yet, does that mean I won't get in?

Not necessarily. We are often still sending enrollment offers in the late summer. It takes several months to send out all of the enrollment offers. If you do receive an invitation to enroll, you will have 24 hours to get back to us. Not everyone accepts the offer of a spot at American Academy, but we must wait 24 hours for the response, or until that invitation expires, before we can move down the waitlist. As you can imagine, this process takes some time. Please be patient and keep checking your lottery waitlist status.

If I don't get in this year, how will that affect my chances for future years?

Families must joint the waitlist each year they wish to be included in the lottery. Families that applied in a prior year will be removed from the waitlist for future lotteries (per updated Enrollment Policy 10/16/2018) on September 1 of each year. On September 2, you may add your family back to the waitlist for the next lottery.

If I do not respond to an offer, what happens to my waitlist entry?

If we do not receive a response to our email offer within 24 hours, we assume you are not interested in American Academy for any of your children and we will remove your family's entire record (for all children, in all grades PK-8) from our waitlist.

Where do I change or update my waitlist account information, request a forgotton PIN number, or check on my waitlist status?

American Academy’s Nondiscrimination Notice: The Douglas County School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, religion, national origin, ancestry, creed, age, marital status, genetic information, or physical characteristics, disability or need for special education services in admissions, access to, treatment of, or employment in educational programs or activities. American Academy’s Compliance Officer is Steve Colella, Deputy Executive Director of Schools, 6971 Mira Vista Lane, Castle Pines, Colorado complianceofficer@aak8.org, 720-292-5200. Complaint procedures have been established for students, parents, employees and members of the public.